To date, with a television or radio, a channel has been selected by depressing operation buttons correlated one to each channel, or by operating an operation button displayed on a screen using a GUI (graphical user interface) with a pointing device or finger.
With a digital broadcast receiving device, which is a first heretofore known technology, a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are provided in the exterior upper portion of a screen, and receivable channels, and the reception status of each receivable channel, are displayed by the LEDs. Furthermore, a channel selection button being provided in the vicinity of each LED, it is possible to select a desired channel by operating the channel selection button (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2003-274310).
A control signal input system, which is a second heretofore known technology, three concentric grooves, and twelve guide grooves extending radially from the center of the circles, being formed, is configured by an input device which inputs position information by pressing an optional position in the three grooves, and a display section formed of a GUI which displays selection items, for example, television channels, in positions corresponding to the grooves. The three concentric grooves are each segmented into twelve equal areas by the guide grooves. By causing each area to correspond to a selection item, it is possible for a user to operate intuitively (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2006-229621).
However, with both of the heretofore known technologies, the quantity of operation buttons for selecting a selection candidate, for example, a channel, or the quantity of areas displaying selection candidates, is fixed. In the event that the quantity of channels, that is, of selection candidates, increases or decreases due to a change in external circumstances, for example, a new establishment or abolishing of a channel, or, in the event that it is a portable device, due to a change in external circumstances such as a fluctuation in receivable channels accompanying a movement, there is a problem in that the quantity of operation buttons, or the quantity of selection items, is insufficient or excessive.